Mr. Ivaša Zorić with the request that something might be done to
release his son, a prisoner of war in Italy, replied: "Your son shall be
released in eight days, provided that you declare, in writing, that you
are content with the Italian occupation." On Mr. Zorić saying that he
was unable to do this, "Very well," said the officer, "then your son
will be one of the last to be set free."
THE ITALIANS WANT TO TAKE NO RISKS
Altogether one might say that the schoolmasters were being treated in a
manner that was at variance with the Admiral's document. To give a few
examples: Ivan Grbić, the schoolmaster at Sutomišcica, was
arbitrarily imprisoned and was afterwards removed to another school at
Privlaka. The Government school at the former place was closed, an
Italian private institution being opened in the same building, with a
teacher who was devoid of professional qualifications. The pupils of the
school which had been dissolved were compelled by soldiers to attend the
new Italian school. The elementary schools at Zemunik were likewise
closed and the schoolmasters, after a period of imprisonment, taken to
another village. If in the rather dreary little Zemunik, where there is
not one Italian, the schoolmaster was very dangerous to the might of
Italy, let us compare with this the conduct of the Slovene authorities
who permitted more than one priest of the old régime to remain in
office--one of them at a village four or five miles from
Ljubljana--though they knew that these clergy were wont from the pulpit
to utter disloyal sentiments. Maybe the Slovene Government was unwise,
but they had scruples in removing a priest; and moreover, they had not
given up the hope that these gentlemen would by and by change their
opinions. On the island of Pag the schoolmaster Buratović and his
wife, who was also a teacher, had to fly in order to escape
imprisonment. The schoolmaster Grimani of the same place was obliged,
with his wife, to follow the example of Buratović, so that the school
was necessarily closed; and an Italian school was started in this island
with its 0·31 per cent. of Italians. The same edifying scenes must have
taken place as in so many Magyar schools where the pupils--Serbs,
Slovaks, Roumanians and so forth--did not understand what the teacher
was saying. The Government of the occupied part of Dalmatia appointed to
the elementary schools at Rogoznica and Primošten two young Italian
law-students from Zadar, who had no pedagogic qualifications; and
whereas the legal annual salary was 1080 crowns, these lucky young men
were in receipt of 625 crowns a month, which covered more than
handsomely any depreciation in the currency. But now to another subject:
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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